Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Frosty Yomistique’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Frosty Yomistique’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; small dark green-colored foliage; uniform, early and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Frosty Yomistique’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a pot-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Frosty Yomistique’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar ‘Yomistique’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,412. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled greenhouse environment as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Yomistique’ in December, 2004, in Fort Myers, Fla.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2005. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Frosty Yomistique’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Frosty Yomistique’ as a new and distinct pot-type Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Small dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform, freely and early flowering habit.     -   5. Daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets.     -   6. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences         maintaining good substance and color for about five weeks in an         interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent, ‘Yomistique’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly than         plants of ‘Yomistique’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Yomistique’ differ in         ray floret color as plants of ‘Yomistique’ have purple-colored         ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Currant Yomistique’, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/214,226, primarily in ray floret color as plants of ‘Currant Yomistique’ have deep coral bronze-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Soft Cherie’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,802. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Soft Cherie’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered two weeks earlier         than plants of ‘Soft Cherie’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Soft         Cherie’ differed in ray floret color as plants of ‘Soft Cherie’         had light pink-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Frosty Yomistique’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial pot-type Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 21° C. to 27° C., night temperatures ranged from about 17° C. to 19° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about three weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photograph and for the description were grown as natural sprays and were eleven weeks from planting. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Frosty     Yomistique’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of     Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Yomistique’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.     No. 17,412. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten days at             temperatures of 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy pot-type Chrysanthemum             typically grown as a natural spray type. Compact; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded             appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit, about four             lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex             (pinching); dense and full plant habit. Moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 20 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 6.3 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes             divergent.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; veins             prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: More green than             147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 147B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 147B to 147C; towards the margin, close to             147A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on             a capitulum. Inflorescence slightly fragrant; pungent.             Typically grown as a natural spray type.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering habit; plants             exposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about six weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about five weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about five             inflorescences develop per lateral stem.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 141A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height):             About 9 mm. Diameter of disc: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle             height: About 4 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Orientation: Initially             upright, then with development, close to perpendicular from             vertical. Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly flat.             Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Apex: Emarginate,             rounded or acute. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:             About 22 arranged in a single whorl. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155D. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             5 mm. Width, apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 127. Color,             immature: Apex: Close to 144A. Mid-section and base: Close             to 155D. Color, mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section:             Close to 154D. Base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20             arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 141A. Color, lower surface: More green than 141A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.6 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 4.6 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen length: About 5 mm. Filament length: About             4 mm. Filament color: Close to 154D. Anther shape: Narrowly             oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close             to 9A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 9A. Style length:             About 5 mm. Style color: Close to 154D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Frosty Yomistique’ as illustrated and described. 